TV-Series
Description
The Principal is the founder and head of Hyakki Academy, the school where the story takes place. He is a youkai known as a nurarihyon and is more than a thousand years old, standing about 185 centimeters tall. His most recognizable feature is the mask he always wears, an old man's Noh mask said to be his grandfather's, with a golden surface, red lips, and short cut-off horns. He almost never reveals his real face, and those around him have rarely if ever seen it. His visible appearance includes purple hair and mismatched eyes, one white and one red.
In his public role, the Principal appears calm, composed, and dignified. He speaks gently to students and outsiders and carries himself with the authority expected of someone who leads an entire school. Beneath that composed exterior, however, he has a very different private side. He is fond of gambling, alcohol, and nightlife, and on his days off he disguises himself with sunglasses and a mask to visit pachinko parlors, horse races, and hostess clubs. He is also sensitive about money and has a fierce temper that emerges when the teachers cause damage to the school or create large-scale trouble. Despite these flaws, he is genuinely caring in his own way. He takes his staff out for drinks, looks out for them, and is willing to accept responsibility as the head of the school when a crisis falls on one of his teachers. Students and faculty alike generally hold him in high regard, though they also find him intimidating when he is angry.
His true identity is Douman Ashiya, a human exorcist and onmyoji who lived roughly a thousand years before the events of the story. In his human life, he was a famous rival of Abe no Seimei, the great onmyoji who is the ancestor and previous life of the protagonist, Haruaki Abe. Seeking greater power and having reached the limits of what his human existence allowed, Douman abandoned his life as a human and became a youkai, transforming into a nurarihyon with the aid of divine power. This change is tied to the death of Abe no Seimei and to the divine beast Suzaku. After becoming a youkai, he eventually founded Hyakki Academy and took on the role of its principal, teaching and guiding other youkai under his new identity.
His motivations are closely tied to his rivalry with Abe no Seimei. In life, Seimei had dreamed of creating a school where youkai could live and learn, but he never accomplished that dream. The Principal built Hyakki Academy partially to fulfill that same vision himself, carrying out what his old rival could not and thereby seeking to win their long-standing competition. Beyond this personal goal, he is committed to giving youkai a safe place to grow and to working toward a society in which humans and youkai can coexist. His founding of the school is therefore both an act of rivalry and a sincere project of care for the youkai community.
In the story, the Principal serves as the authority figure who sets the entire school in motion. It is he who hires Haruaki Abe as a teacher, and the reason behind that decision is one of the story's significant mysteries, gradually connected to Haruaki's past life as Abe no Seimei. He oversees the academy's daily operations and is also the manager of the island where the school stands, an island that is in fact a giant divine turtle formerly owned by the sacred beast Suzaku and lent to the Principal in the late Edo period. His decisions carry real weight in major events, including a late storyline in which his resignation becomes a central concern and the students and teachers rally to resolve the situation.
His most important relationship is with Haruaki Abe. Because Haruaki is connected to the soul and lineage of Abe no Seimei, the Principal's relationship with him carries a thousand years of history. In the past, Douman repeatedly challenged and clashed with Seimei, viewing him as his greatest rival, and his feelings toward that figure mix competition, admiration, envy, and lingering attachment. In the present, he maintains a mostly composed and supportive manner toward Haruaki, though Haruaki's mistakes can make him lose his temper, and his rough, more candid way of speaking occasionally slips out when he is provoked. As the story progresses, he reveals his past and his connection to Haruaki's previous life, deepening their bond.
The Principal's development is tied to the gradual revelation of his identity. Early on, he is an enigmatic and seemingly benevolent figure whose background is deliberately kept hidden. Later story arcs uncover his past as Douman Ashiya, his transformation from human to youkai, and the reasons behind the school's founding. These revelations reframe his relationship with Haruaki and give new meaning to the academy itself. His actions during the later crisis also demonstrate his dedication to the school and his readiness to face the consequences of his role.
In terms of abilities, the Principal is a powerful youkai with the traits of a nurarihyon. He is elusive and able to turn his body into mist, allowing him to appear and vanish at will and to move through walls. He can also distort space to connect distant locations, effectively allowing instant travel between different places. In addition, he can employ barriers and protective magic to guard the school in times of danger. His long lifespan, mastery of youjutsu, and access to divine power make him one of the most capable figures in the setting, though he generally uses his strength to govern, protect, and maintain order rather than to fight.
In his public role, the Principal appears calm, composed, and dignified. He speaks gently to students and outsiders and carries himself with the authority expected of someone who leads an entire school. Beneath that composed exterior, however, he has a very different private side. He is fond of gambling, alcohol, and nightlife, and on his days off he disguises himself with sunglasses and a mask to visit pachinko parlors, horse races, and hostess clubs. He is also sensitive about money and has a fierce temper that emerges when the teachers cause damage to the school or create large-scale trouble. Despite these flaws, he is genuinely caring in his own way. He takes his staff out for drinks, looks out for them, and is willing to accept responsibility as the head of the school when a crisis falls on one of his teachers. Students and faculty alike generally hold him in high regard, though they also find him intimidating when he is angry.
His true identity is Douman Ashiya, a human exorcist and onmyoji who lived roughly a thousand years before the events of the story. In his human life, he was a famous rival of Abe no Seimei, the great onmyoji who is the ancestor and previous life of the protagonist, Haruaki Abe. Seeking greater power and having reached the limits of what his human existence allowed, Douman abandoned his life as a human and became a youkai, transforming into a nurarihyon with the aid of divine power. This change is tied to the death of Abe no Seimei and to the divine beast Suzaku. After becoming a youkai, he eventually founded Hyakki Academy and took on the role of its principal, teaching and guiding other youkai under his new identity.
His motivations are closely tied to his rivalry with Abe no Seimei. In life, Seimei had dreamed of creating a school where youkai could live and learn, but he never accomplished that dream. The Principal built Hyakki Academy partially to fulfill that same vision himself, carrying out what his old rival could not and thereby seeking to win their long-standing competition. Beyond this personal goal, he is committed to giving youkai a safe place to grow and to working toward a society in which humans and youkai can coexist. His founding of the school is therefore both an act of rivalry and a sincere project of care for the youkai community.
In the story, the Principal serves as the authority figure who sets the entire school in motion. It is he who hires Haruaki Abe as a teacher, and the reason behind that decision is one of the story's significant mysteries, gradually connected to Haruaki's past life as Abe no Seimei. He oversees the academy's daily operations and is also the manager of the island where the school stands, an island that is in fact a giant divine turtle formerly owned by the sacred beast Suzaku and lent to the Principal in the late Edo period. His decisions carry real weight in major events, including a late storyline in which his resignation becomes a central concern and the students and teachers rally to resolve the situation.
His most important relationship is with Haruaki Abe. Because Haruaki is connected to the soul and lineage of Abe no Seimei, the Principal's relationship with him carries a thousand years of history. In the past, Douman repeatedly challenged and clashed with Seimei, viewing him as his greatest rival, and his feelings toward that figure mix competition, admiration, envy, and lingering attachment. In the present, he maintains a mostly composed and supportive manner toward Haruaki, though Haruaki's mistakes can make him lose his temper, and his rough, more candid way of speaking occasionally slips out when he is provoked. As the story progresses, he reveals his past and his connection to Haruaki's previous life, deepening their bond.
The Principal's development is tied to the gradual revelation of his identity. Early on, he is an enigmatic and seemingly benevolent figure whose background is deliberately kept hidden. Later story arcs uncover his past as Douman Ashiya, his transformation from human to youkai, and the reasons behind the school's founding. These revelations reframe his relationship with Haruaki and give new meaning to the academy itself. His actions during the later crisis also demonstrate his dedication to the school and his readiness to face the consequences of his role.
In terms of abilities, the Principal is a powerful youkai with the traits of a nurarihyon. He is elusive and able to turn his body into mist, allowing him to appear and vanish at will and to move through walls. He can also distort space to connect distant locations, effectively allowing instant travel between different places. In addition, he can employ barriers and protective magic to guard the school in times of danger. His long lifespan, mastery of youjutsu, and access to divine power make him one of the most capable figures in the setting, though he generally uses his strength to govern, protect, and maintain order rather than to fight.